CROOK AND CHASE RETURN TO TV: RFD-TV Launches New Crook and Chase Show, One-Hour Program Premieres
January 17, 2008

November 5, 2007 -- Two of radio and television's most recognizable personalities will be back on the air together when the brand new Crook and Chase Show premieres on RFD-TV January 17, 2008. At the helm of the talk/variety show are broadcast personalities Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase, who this year are celebrating 25 years in the business, making them the longest running broadcast team currently on the air.

The Crook and Chase Show premiere will be preceded by a one-hour television special, during which the hosts will look back over their 25 years in broadcasting. The retrospective will air January 10th at 9:00 p.m. ET and feature some of the best clips from their two and a half decades in the business.

Because of their history with Nashville and its music business, Crook and Chase have a unique rapport with an array of the genre's stars. Their fun, easy going and conversational interview style make them a favorite stop for entertainers. In fact, the previous incarnation of Crook and Chase attracted many celebrities from outside the country music world. It was not unusual for an actor promoting a new project or a famous author promoting the latest bestseller to drop in for a chat.

"What Charlie and I have always enjoyed about our shows is the blend of exciting musical performances and off-the-cuff interviews," Crook says. "That combination gives our live audiences and our television viewers the best of both worlds - the pizzazz of showbiz, but also a personal connection to the stars they love."

"As always, our stage is open to newcomers just launching their careers, the current hit makers and newsmakers and our treasured stars who have spent their lives contributing to the foundation and fabric of today's country music," Chase adds.

Show producer Jim Owens notes that the affiliation with RFD-TV is not only a logical move, but a strategic one as well. "RFD-TV as a network is very aggressive not only in promoting its properties, but in growing its brand as well. I have no doubt that by this time next year; the number of households the network reaches will be two to three times its current reach. That makes good business sense for us. 'Crook and Chase' as a brand has great familiarity, and we intend to grow that brand. Who better to partner with than a network of like mindset?"

"In 2004, we moved RFD-TV broadcast operations to Nashville in hopes of producing and attracting original top quality programming," said Patrick Gottsch, Founder and President of RFD-TV. "To be able to add Crook and Chase to our program lineup is exciting news and confirms that our move to Nashville was justified. Putting Crook and Chase on the RFD-TV schedule, which already includes great shows like "Ralph Emery Live" and the classic country collection of programming, such as "The Porter Wagoner Show," "Wilburn Brothers," "Pop Goes The Country," "Nashville On The Road," "Country Carnival" and "Jim Owens Classic Country Hour," will be very popular with our audience."

The weekly one hour show will be produced by Jim Owens Entertainment and taped in front of a studio audience on Wednesdays at Nashville's Opry House in Studio A. The show will premiere Thursday evenings during primetime (9:00 p.m. ET) and repeat Fridays at 11:00 a.m. ET and again Saturday nights at 7:00 ET, giving it premium exposure.

RFD-TV, LLC launched in December 2000. RFD-TV is the nation's first 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week television network dedicated to serving the needs and interests of rural America. Programming includes a wide-variety of shows focused on agriculture, equine, rural lifestyle, and traditional music offerings, which are uplinked via satellite from Northstar Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Currently, RFD-TV is distributed to over 30 million homes on DIRECTV, DISH Network, Mediacom, Charter, Suddenlink, Bresnan, NRTC and NCTC cable systems located in all 50 states. RFD-TV continues to expand on a daily basis as more cable systems choose to add the network's programming and DBS systems add new subscribers.